If calories in vs. calories out is what matters, why no weight loss?

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Replies

  • cadpro78
    cadpro78 Posts: 125 Member
    misschellechelle wrote: »
    I am trying to lose my last 5-7 pounds. I weigh all of my food and log absolutely everything! I also wear a fitbit to get a general idea of calories burned.

    Last week, I was 7,000 calories under maintenance for the week. I eat 1200 calories a day and end up burning about 2100-2300 calories a day. When I weighed in, no weight loss! I have been at this plateau for about a month. I have switched up my workouts and been especially mindful of my eating.

    Any advice?

    2100 to 2300 you are burning off? But you only take it 1200... something ain't right there I think.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Cave_Goose wrote: »
    I tell this to people all the time...stop worrying about the last 5-7lbs. Are you in your BMI? Are you fit and healthy? Are you eating right and exercising? If yes, then the numbers are an arbitrary goal that maybe your body doesn't care about.

    When I was a kid, my mom was friends with a fitness instructor who was let go of her job because she was 5lbs overweight. We couldn't imagine this woman losing any more weight--toned, tight abs, no fat that I could see--but the corporate office of her gym had set an arbitrary height-weight ratio that she could no longer meet.

    The scale is suppose to be a tool, not a master. Don't make it one.

    I agree to a point.

    But for me 5lbs is the different between my clothing fitting nicely or snuggly...

    and perspective...put 5lbs of butter on the table then same 5lbs don't matter.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    edited April 2016
    OP the last 5-7lbs takes much longer because there is less room for errors. You say you are tracking accurately, but take a closer look - are you picking the right calories from the food database, that can lead to BIG inaccuracies. Another poster yesterday said they didn't log condiments. That kind of thing can mean we are eating more than we think.

    If you haven't lost in several weeks, you are eating at maintenance.

    Fitbit is pretty accurate for me, but you have to allow at least 5% discrepancy in it.

    When you say you've switched up workouts, what are you doing different? have you had more DOMS?? that could allow for a little water weight.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    Because fit bits are inaccurate. That's why. Total pieces of crap. I gained weight using mine. They don't work.

    But if OP is weighing and logging everything and eating 1200 calories, they are obviously at a deficit. So the fitbit isn't the issue here.

  • Kmace123
    Kmace123 Posts: 4 Member
    Same here- I have been on this weightloss-log everything- exercise daily for at least 30 minutes- drink my water for 23 days- scale hasn't moved even a tenth of a percent....so I had my metabolic weight test done....and I have the metabolic age of a 54 yr old woman- I am 39- I have ZERO metabolism- I have followed ALL of the jumpstart and even had bloodwork done- all clear- but the scale isn't budging.....even tried the nurse's scale where I work....she said it is "totally accurate".......and guess what same as the scale at home to the tenth :neutral: I have started Plexus Slim.....to try to jumpstart.......we shall see.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited April 2016
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    gataman3000 wrote: »
    Keep in mind when you post in these boards, you are asking for advice from people who have been overweight their entire life, asking people who have been u healthy their entire life how to be healthy. Go to they gym and talking to them, they will give you better advice or a nutritionist.

    Wrong!! we are the people who have lost weight and have had continued success (for me personally been at goal weight for 3 years) so don't tar everyone with same brush....! We DO know what we're talking about. :smile:

    Yep, 3 year maintainer here as well. But obviously we know nothing.

    Snort.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    gataman3000 wrote: »
    Keep in mind when you post in these boards, you are asking for advice from people who have been overweight their entire life, asking people who have been u healthy their entire life how to be healthy. Go to they gym and talking to them, they will give you better advice or a nutritionist.

    You actually don't know that. I was only heavy for a couple years. I have been a fairly thin and active person for the majority of my life with the exception of the couple years were I gained weight. There are people here who have never had considerable amounts of weight to lose and just use the site for bulk/cut cycles. There are people who, like myself, had a small hiccup in life and gained weight for a short time period. There are also people who have been heavy their whole life. These boards are a giant mix of people.

    Also just because people go to the gym doesn't mean they have been healthy their entire life.

  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    Because fit bits are inaccurate. That's why. Total pieces of crap. I gained weight using mine. They don't work.

    Same. I ditched my Fitbit in October and I love not being a slave to it.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    I would also look at your stress level. Are you super stressed out? When I'm stressed, I don't sleep enough, don't drink enough water, and tend to have some water retention issues. 5lbs is such a small amount of weight variance that there could be so many factors in play here. I'd resort to a tape measure at this point and see if you have actually gotten smaller. Then, I would reset my loss goal to .5lbs since you are eating at a rather large deficit. Cut yourself some slack. Finally, I'd stop worrying and wait a couple of weeks before weighing in. These things usually work themselves out given time and attitude.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    misschellechelle wrote: »
    RoseTheWarrior wrote: »
    Since you've mentioned that you weigh and log everything, I would ask how often you wor out? Are you giving yourself rest days? Also please realize that the last 5 lbs will be the hardest to lose. You'll have to be incredibly patient.

    I workout 6 days a week. I lift weights, do circuit training, and a mix of HIIT and speed walking. I do take a rest day for recovery.

    The calorie expenditure of weight lifting and circuit training is very low. Wearing a fitbit there doesn't help either. You lift up a weight, your HR goes up, you put the weight down, your heartrate still remains high for a while while you're just sitting around and not doing anything. A high HR doesn't equal energy burn!

    And school physics: Work =mass(kg)*height(meters)*9.81ms^2. Say you deadlift 50kg half a meter that will give you 245.25J = 0.06kcal ;)

    Of course a bit more goes into the total for lowering the weight to the floor again, and for stabilizing your body during the lift, but really, the energy expenditure for weight lifting is not particularly high.

    Am I the only person that this doesn't happen to? My avg HR during weight lifting sessions is usually 100-110. Stronglifts or Strong Curves, doesn't seem to matter. My HR goes up and quickly heads back to resting during my rest periods.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    You are not doing the right things, or not doing the right things right, or not measuring your progress correctly, or your goal is inappropriate. Weight loss is simple, but not necessarily easy, and you have to be accurate, patient and realistic.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
    edited April 2016
    quoted from synacious: "If you've read up on how inaccurate all fitness trackers are, you wouldn't have posted this.
    I have read articles that have debated the inaccuracies of fitness trackers but that doesn't mean they are inaccurate for everyone. From the articles I've read and the experiences from users that I've read, it seems like the more overweight someone is, the more Fitbit overestimates their TDEE. Also, some of the articles were based on self-reported data which, in my opinion, must be taken with a grain of salt."

    I was 20 bmi when I got a fitbit. I gained 10 pounds in about a month and a half using that thing. It estimated calorie burns when I was traveling in a car as if I was walking! They are cool for aome people, I felt wierd like using it, it alarm for getting up, clock everything, I guess I just didn't like having a little machine on me always like a control thingy.

    Best of luck losing the extra 7 pounds. I found that when Igot down to a low normal bmi, I had to go below 1200 cals to lose those last pounds. Maintenance was lower too, so its a decision you may have to make on what you want to weigh after all is said and done.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    shadow2soul wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    misschellechelle wrote: »
    RoseTheWarrior wrote: »
    Since you've mentioned that you weigh and log everything, I would ask how often you wor out? Are you giving yourself rest days? Also please realize that the last 5 lbs will be the hardest to lose. You'll have to be incredibly patient.

    I workout 6 days a week. I lift weights, do circuit training, and a mix of HIIT and speed walking. I do take a rest day for recovery.

    The calorie expenditure of weight lifting and circuit training is very low. Wearing a fitbit there doesn't help either. You lift up a weight, your HR goes up, you put the weight down, your heartrate still remains high for a while while you're just sitting around and not doing anything. A high HR doesn't equal energy burn!

    And school physics: Work =mass(kg)*height(meters)*9.81ms^2. Say you deadlift 50kg half a meter that will give you 245.25J = 0.06kcal ;)

    Of course a bit more goes into the total for lowering the weight to the floor again, and for stabilizing your body during the lift, but really, the energy expenditure for weight lifting is not particularly high.

    Am I the only person that this doesn't happen to? My avg HR during weight lifting sessions is usually 100-110. Stronglifts or Strong Curves, doesn't seem to matter. My HR goes up and quickly heads back to resting during my rest periods.

    Same. I never get a HR readout of higher than 110 when lifting. My estimated burns for a session are between 70 and 100 calories depending on the intensity and duration. The only exception is when I'm focusing on legs; my HR can get as high as 150 depending on what it is I'm doing and what type of set it is.

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